Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God. (Psalm 42:11)
We must learn to fight despondency. The fight is a fight of faith in future grace. It is fought by preaching truth to ourselves about God and his promised future.
This is what the psalmist does in Psalm 42. The psalmist preaches to his troubled soul. He scolds himself and argues with himself. And his main argument is future grace: “Hope in God! — Trust in what God will be for you in the future. A day of praise is coming. The presence of the Lord will be all the help you need. And he has promised to be with us forever.”
Martyn Lloyd-Jones believes this issue of preaching truth to ourselves about God’s future grace is all-important in overcoming spiritual depression.
“Have you realized that most of your unhappiness in life is due to the fact that you are listening to yourself instead of talking to yourself? Take those thoughts that come to you the moment you wake up in the morning. You have not originated them, but they start talking to you, they bring back the problems of yesterday, etc. Somebody is talking . . . yourself is talking to you!”
The battle against despondency is a battle to believe the promises of God. And that belief in God’s future grace comes by hearing the Word. And so preaching to ourselves is at the heart of the battle.
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Today is the day one of my significant others, my beloved sister in faith, goes to continue her education abroad.
As the day progressed, I have to say that I fell into a kind of turmoil. We have just acquainted each other for about seven months, like we are close like long-lost brother and sister. I surely miss her presence, knowing that I couldn’t be aside her physically for some time.
As someone who has learned much of God these past seven months, I should have believed in the future grace Lord Jesus Christ will surely give. I should have not fallen into the turmoil.
Today’s Solid Joys reminds me to always remind myself actively of the Lord’s future grace and in a way reminds me that everyone who believes in Jesus Christ will reunite in God in the end of the age. As what we said yesterday night, “I’ll see you soon!” We will meet again in 5 months, and I can’t wait for that time.
The Lord Jesus Christ blesses you!
Passionate for Literature and Thoughts! 